Is Trump the fool? There really are only two possibilities regarding President Trump. Maybe he’s a liar and a criminal. Did he collude with the Russian government in the 2016 election? If he did, that could never be fully hidden, and crime after crime would inevitably ensue. The whole thing would inevitably blow up. Would that explain his possibly “asking” former FBI Director Comey to “just let Mike Flynn go?” Perhaps. Could that explain his subsequent firing of Comey because the FBI was relentlessly pursuing the collusion thesis? Or maybe the FBI was just getting too close to the hard proof of collusion (though we doubt Trump would know it)? Again, perhaps.
We don’t know with certainty whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government during the 2016 election. And if that collusion existed, we don’t know whether President Trump was directly or indirectly involved. Perhaps at this point, only he knows (though we doubt it). But a special prosecutor is not needed yet. And Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, once again, places the interests of his political faction above those of the country. Continue reading “Special Prosecutor is Not Needed – Let the FBI Conduct the Investigation”
Nominate Judge Merrick Garland as the new FBI Director. This is the brilliant idea of Utah Senator Mike Lee. His suggestion, if implemented, would solve a multitude of President Trump’s problems. More importantly, it would provide the country with a full, independent and conclusive judgment regarding the entire “Russia” matter once and for all. It eliminates the silly comparisons to Watergate. And it diffuses any notion of a “constitutional crisis.” But is President Trump up to the challenge? Continue reading “Nominate Judge Merrick Garland as FBI Director – A Brilliant Political Move”
President Trump’s decision to fire FBI Director Comey has rightly led to questions about his motivations and judgment. We discuss that elsewhere. But President Obama’s failure to fire Director Comey is troubling, albeit for different reasons. Why didn’t President Obama fire Comey immediately after Comey’s initial conclusion of the Hillary investigation? Obama’s judgment was also poor. But we believe his primary motivation was something altogether different. It was just politics, pure and simple. And it’s yet another example of a President placing politics above the needs of the country. Continue reading “President Obama’s Failure to Fire FBI Director Comey – It Was All Politics”
The firing of FBI Director James Comey was long overdue. Comey deserved to be fired. But President Trump was wrong to do it now. Rants to the contrary notwithstanding, this is not the Saturday Night Massacre. Not by a long shot. But President Trump’s decision is yet the latest example of poor judgment – very poor judgment. Poor presidential judgment jeopardizes a President’s ability to effectively lead. The nation becomes weaker in the eyes of friends and foe alike. The subsequent need to show decisiveness and leadership grows, as is the risk of making follow-on poor judgments. This is the underlying risk of President Trump’s decision, and it cannot be understated. Continue reading “Comey Deserved to Be Fired, But Trump’s Judgment Was Terrible”
It has been a remarkable, perhaps unprecedented, year in American politics. Rancor, if not outright fear and hatred, prevails. Half-truths, mis-truths, name calling and a litany of much worse. A centerpiece of this blog is that those who would lead can only lead with integrity. So we have taken up the tasks of identifying and exposing political hypocrisy. We have written about it here and now focus on it again with Donald Trump days away from the Presidency. The context here is the simple question, was the election result illegitimate?
The Third Presidential Debate and the Threat to Democracy
We recall the famous remark during the third Presidential debate. It sparked furious claims that the foundations of our democracy were being jeopardized.
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Debate
[Chris Wallace]: Will you absolutely accept the results of this election?
[Donald Trump]: I will look at it at the time.
And then came Mrs. Clinton’s equally famous reply:
That is not the way our democracy works. [The United States has been] around for 240 years. We’ve had free and fair elections. We’ve accepted the outcomes when we may not have liked them. And that is what must be expected [from a Presidential candidate].
Mr. Trump’s comment was claimed to be monumental. Some called it “a stunning moment that has never been seen in the weeks before a modern presidential election.” Mr. Trump’s position was so bad that it “threatens to cast doubt on one of the fundamental principles of American politics – the peaceful, undisputed transfer of power from one president to a successor who is recognized as legitimate after winning an election.”
